Small town aims to be Iowa’s electric car charging hub
Last updated Aug 27, 2010 — 11 viewsElk Horn, Iowa, which claims to have “the only functioning Danish windmill in the world,” has set its sites on another bragging point: the town of 600 is aiming to be the recharging stop of choice for “hundreds of thousands” of electric cars driving across the U.S. midwest on Interstate 80.
“We are really pre-positioned here way ahead of the curve, explains local businessman Mike Howard in a video produced by Transportation TV. “We are confident that when electric cars come, we have a location where people can charge their vehicles, enjoy our town, and then be able to continue on their journey.”
Elk Horn wants to be I-80’s electric car recharging hub
Howard says Elk Horn currently has four charging stations and is prepared to add four more within a few months. He also hopes to install other public charging stations at various locations along the Interstate 80 corridor, which passes through Elk Horn.
The video below notes that although all-electric cards cost less to drive, they’re limited in range and typically require four to eight hours (or more) to fully recharge. Consequently, trips in all-electric vehicles need to be planned around available charging stations, resulting in opportunities for quick-charging services.
Howard hopes to get $2 to $3 per electric car recharge. “It’s going to be slow at first,” he told the Associated Press. “You’re not going to see a large influx of electric vehicles out there everyday. We have a dream about electric vehicles and we’re going to make that a reality.”
It turns out electric car innovation isn’t a new thing in Iowa. In 1890, William Morrison built the first U.S. four-wheeled electric vehicle in Des Moines IA. His objective? To demonstrate his lead battery.